Adding critters to my CUC, suggestions?

[thatreefguy22]

I wanted to upgrade my CUC. Right now I only have 2 turbo snails...and it seems like everytime I add a new coral, my tank does appear more, messy. Cause I now feed my torch coral when I can, and feed a little throughout the day to my fish. And not every bit of food gets eaten by the fish.

So I was thinking ordering from divers den, a 10 pack of nassarius snails.
and That should help a lot with eating build up off rock and the sand.
and a cool addition of a porcelain crab.

Anything else that would be a good help for keeping the tank clean, also safe around corals?

I'd like some replies before I make my final order.
Thanks a lot, for any help!!

 

[Reefmedic79]

Nothing against divers den, but check out reefcleaners.org. They can set you up with a package/kit that has a variety of critters for the tank you have.

 

[mkoop]

Nothing against divers den, but check out reefcleaners.org. They can set you up with a package/kit that has a variety of critters for the tank you have.

Are their packages actually what you need? I have had a half dozen turbo snails and a dozen astrea snails so far and they have been doing a decent job (albeit I have been considering increasing lately)...

But I can't help to think that their package for a 180 has a TON of snails, like how much algaes are they expecting to be present when you introduce this package so they dont just clear the issue immediately and then die from starvation?

170 Dwarf Ceriths
55 Nassarius
72 Florida Ceriths
48 Small to Medium Nerites

Just seems like a massive CUC...

 

[Reefmedic79]

IME, their packages are big, and when you the package they give a lot more than what they list in the pack.

With that in mind, I would suggest halving you kit if you don't think you have sufficient food stuff for the CUC. I do suggest going with their packs regardless of what size you choose, because of the niche each species fills, to cover all your bases.

In contrast dwarf ceriths are very small, can probably fit 4-5 on a dime, they use the small nassarius snails which would disappear quickly in a small tank.

I also feed my tank heavily and to ensure everyone gets fed.

 

[thatreefguy22]

IME, their packages are big, and when you the package they give a lot more than what they list in the pack.

With that in mind, I would suggest halving you kit if you don't think you have sufficient food stuff for the CUC. I do suggest going with their packs regardless of what size you choose, because of the niche each species fills, to cover all your bases.

In contrast dwarf ceriths are very small, can probably fit 4-5 on a dime, they use the small nassarius snails which would disappear quickly in a small tank.

I also feed my tank heavily and to ensure everyone gets fed.

My tank is a 20 long, But, I feed a good amount throughout the day with dry pellets, once-twice a week for my torch with frozen mysis.

Right now my tank is stocked with 3 fish, 2 clowns and 1 bicolor dotty.
2 turbos, and 3 different corals.

So, so is it worth getting a big pack of those snails, you mentioned they were tiny. I think it'd help a lot. each water change...I noticed how much deitrus comes from the sand a rock..and say to myself "all that could be food for snals/crabs."

 

[trinidiver]

get maybe a cleaner shrimp and maybe 2 peppermints. They forage for uneated food and the peppermints will eat any aptasia if it has any

 

[mkoop]

IME, their packages are big, and when you the package they give a lot more than what they list in the pack.

With that in mind, I would suggest halving you kit if you don't think you have sufficient food stuff for the CUC. I do suggest going with their packs regardless of what size you choose, because of the niche each species fills, to cover all your bases.

In contrast dwarf ceriths are very small, can probably fit 4-5 on a dime, they use the small nassarius snails which would disappear quickly in a small tank.

I also feed my tank heavily and to ensure everyone gets fed.

Thanks, I've been looking to ramp up my CUC and just have not known how to properly balance it. I may start with adding one of their 90 packs to what I have now, still looking the order over seeing if I want to add anything more.

 

[thatreefguy22]

Thanks, I've been looking to ramp up my CUC and just have not known how to properly balance it. I may start with adding one of their 90 packs to what I have now, still looking the order over seeing if I want to add anything more.

You're buying from them now? I might do the same tonight.

 

[Pmj]

Just my opinion having bought a reefcleaners package:

Nerites are useless and try to escape nonstop. Even when they are in the tank they hang near the water line.
Dwarf Ceriths are too small to do much, but they do try. GF doesn't like them and says they look like moths all over the sand and glass.
Nassarius are awesome and are always ready for fish food that drops. Very active and fast.
Florida Ceriths are good although super slow. Unfortunately I didn't order more of these instead of the nerites, but they just laid a bunch of eggs on the glass so hopefully they hatch.

I ended up buying some big scarlet hermits at a LFS to help out and they've been great. Also much bigger than the snails so they haven't killed any. They ate my green hair algae completely.

 

[thatreefguy22]

Just my opinion having bought a reefcleaners package:

Nerites are useless and try to escape nonstop. Even when they are in the tank they hang near the water line.
Dwarf Ceriths are too small to do much, but they do try. GF doesn't like them and says they look like moths all over the sand and glass.
Nassarius are awesome and are always ready for fish food that drops. Very active and fast.
Florida Ceriths are good although super slow. Unfortunately I didn't order more of these instead of the nerites, but they just laid a bunch of eggs on the glass so hopefully they hatch.

I ended up buying some big scarlet hermits at a LFS to help out and they've been great. Also much bigger than the snails so they haven't killed any. They ate my green hair algae completely.

I have had my tank running since October 2013..never saw any hair algae. Just diatoms and very few spots of cyano bacteria. No bubble algae, either.

and my tank is a nano with tree small-mid sized fish, 2 turbos, torch coral, small colony zoa, and piece of rock with green/purple muschrooms.

I guess I can say I have few small starfish hitchhikers.

So, crabs in my tank might be hard, as they could pick at my corals.

I might get a snail package rated for smaller tanks from the site, from what I read above they sometimes ship extras...so getting smaller rated package might do my tank good.

 

[Pmj]

I have had my tank running since October 2013..never saw any hair algae. Just diatoms and very few spots of cyano bacteria. No bubble algae, either.

and my tank is a nano with tree small-mid sized fish, 2 turbos, torch coral, small colony zoa, and piece of rock with green/purple muschrooms.

I guess I can say I have few small starfish hitchhikers.

So, crabs in my tank might be hard, as they could pick at my corals.

I might get a snail package rated for smaller tanks from the site, from what I read above they sometimes ship extras...so getting smaller rated package might do my tank good.

Yeah they def ship extra. I got basically double of everything. Crabs haven't picked at any of my corals yet (and if they did they'd get the boot).

 

[thatreefguy22]

Yeah they def ship extra. I got basically double of everything. Crabs haven't picked at any of my corals yet (and if they did they'd get the boot).

So, should I get the 10 gallon package? With hermits? My tank is a 20 gallon long.

 

[Reefmedic79]

10g would be a good start, as they do give a lot of extras. I like hermits in my tank as well. I got a few of their dwarf reef hermits and scarlets to round out my CUC

Nerites do spend a lot of time along the water line, but mine tend to be more active at night moving down the glass and onto the rocks. My ceriths become more active at night as well.

 

[thatreefguy22]

10g would be a good start, as they do give a lot of extras. I like hermits in my tank as well. I got a few of their dwarf reef hermits and scarlets to round out my CUC

Nerites do spend a lot of time along the water line, but mine tend to be more active at night moving down the glass and onto the rocks. My ceriths become more active at night as well.

Thanks a lot! Finally got an answer it's no problem though. Thanks again!
I will get the one with the hermit mix, and add more rock work to the main tank.

 

[mkoop]

Ordering the 90 quick crew for snails. Not sure if I will add hermits yet, you haven't had any issues with their reef hermits reefmedic? I only have snails atm, but if their reef safe hermits I may consider some

 

[Reefmedic79]

I've found that the mixed hermits reef cleaners provides are very small, though All crabs are opportunistic, and if one finds something it likes to eat they will eat them.

I've never had or witnessed any huge issues with my hermits. I've found hermits on some of my snails, but couldn't entirely rule out if the snail was already dead or dying prior to the crab feeding on it. I've never witnessed any of the claimed "reef safe" hermits attacking a live active snail, I have seen them fighting with other hermits though.